Seam



R. R. HUGHES, in.

SEAM.

APPLlCATION mso JULY 20, I916.

Patented June 22, 1920.

'Llll 'll gig a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. HUGHES, JR., OF UTICA, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. I

SEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1916. Serial No. 110,368.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roxanna: RIIUGHES, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seams, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in seams for sewed articles, and more particularly to a flat seam for uniting the abutting edges of fabric.

The object of the invention is toprovide a duplex flat seam for uniting the abutting edges of fabrics, which consists of stitches forming a retaining seamand stitches which are laid upon the first made stitches to form a covering seam.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of a seam for uniting abutted edges, which seam embodies my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same b Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tying down loops and the locking loops therefor as viewed from the underface' of the seam.

The invention comprises generallya duplex seam for sewed articles consisting of trimmed and abutted edges of fabric, which are first united by stitches formed of anchoring loops laid parallel to each other on opposite sides of the abutting edges and at a distance back from the abutted edges. These anchoring loops are joined on one face of the fabric by crossthreads, and on the other face by a looper thread which serves the double purpose of locking the loops and joining the sections of the fabric.

A second seam is superposed upon the first seam for the purpose of tying down the cross threads of the first seam and covering the abutted edges. This second seamv consists of loops of a single thread arranged in offset relation to each other and disposed upon opposite sides of the abutted edges and between the anchoring loops of the first seam. These loops of the second seam are joined on one face of the fabric by the sec-,

tions of thread between said loops, and on the other face by a looper thread which locks the. loops and joins the rows of loops.

Referring now to the drawing, the seam consists of a fabric formed in two sections Patented June 22, 1920.

1 and 2, the edges of which are trimmed and abutted, as at 3. In the formation of my seam, these edges are first joined by stitches formed by a sewing mechanism which includes two spaced needles carrying the needle threads 4 and 5, respectively.

The needle threads are passed through the fabric some distance back from the abutted edges and this forms a strong anchoring hold on the fabric. The needle threads form the needle loops 6 and 7, re-

spectively. Passing through the needle loops beneath the fabricis alooper thread 8. This looper thread 8 is formed into a loop 9 and first extends through the needle loop 7 and then through the needle loop 6 upon the opposite side of the abutted edges of the fabric, and the loop is locked by the next needle loop passing through the fab me. One strand 10 of the looper thread loop 9 is separated from the other strand of the looper thread and passes around the next needle loop 7. This forms'a connecting thread which joins and anchorsthe needle loops beneath the fabric and passes back and forth across the abutted edges. On the upper face of the material are two cross threads 11 which are laid back and forth across the abutted edges and pass respectively about alternate needle loops in each row.

From the above, it will be apparent that I first form two rows of anchoring loops which are disposed on opposite sides of the abutted edges of the fabric and the rows are substantially parallel to said abutted edges. Connecting these anchoring loops and crossing the abutted edges is a thread beneath and two threads above the fabric. After having formed the stitches, as above described, I neXt form stitches consisting of two rows of connecting loops of a needle thread 12, these needle loops13 and 14 respectively pass through thefabric between the rows of anchoring loops and on each side of the abutted edges of the fabric and offset from each other. Connecting the needle loops beneath the fabric is a looper thread 15 which locks the needle thread loops. This looper thread is formed into loops 16 which are passed through the successive needle loops 13 and 14 and locked or held by the next formed needle loops as in ordinary two thread chain stitching.

It will be apparent that the needle thread 12 passes back and forth across the meeting edges of the fabric over the cross threads 11 and binds the cross threads against the upper face of the fabric. On the underface the looper thread 15 extends across the strands of the looper thread, locking the anchoring loops of the first made stitches and binding these closely against the underface of the fabric.

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided a duplex flat seam for uniting the abutted edges of fabric, wherein there are anchoring loops passing through the mater' ll well back from the abutted edges, with a cross thread below and two cross threads above, which forms a retaining seam for the abutted edges, and wherein there are tying down loops in a single thread which are on opposite sides of the abutting edges, the thread passing back and forth in a zig-zag line with a looper thread below, whereby the first seam is bound down by the second seam and the loose ends of the threads of the material are covered. This application is a continuation of my prior application filed February 27, 1915, Serial Number 10,973, as to all subject matter common thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A duplex seam for sewed articles comprising abutted edges of fabric, a retaining seam lnwing parallel rows of anchoring loops respectively disposed on opposite sides of said abutted edges and cross threads con nected to said. loops, and a covering seam formed by a single Zig-zag line of needle thread, with means for holding the loops thereof on the opposite side of the fabric, the consecutive needle loops of the covering seam being disposed in staggered relation and on opposite sides of the abutted edges of the fabric.

2. A duplex seam for sewed articles comprising abutted edges of fabric, a retaining scam having parallel rows of anchoring loops respectively disposed on opposite sides of said. abutted edges and cross threads connected to the same, and a covering seam composed of staggered parallel rows of needle loops on opposite sides of the abutted edges and connected by the needle thread passing back and forth between the loops across the abutted edges of the fabrics and intermediate the rows of needle loops of the first named seam, and a looper thread concatenating with the needle loops of the second seam.

3. duplex seam for sewed articles comprising abutted edges of fabric, a retaining seam having parallel rows of anchoring loops respectively disposed on opposite sides of said abutted edges, and two cross threads above and one below, and a covering seam composed of staggered parallel rows of needle loops on opposite sides'of the abutted edges and connected by the needle thread passing back and forth between the loops across the abutted edges of the fabrics and intermediate the rows of needle loops of the first named seam, and a looper thread concatenating with the needle loops of the second seam.

4:. A seam for sewed articles comprising abutted edges of fabric, stitches for joining said abititted edges including parallel rows of needle loops respectively disposed on opposite sides of said abutted edges, two cross threads joining said needle loops alternately 011 one face of the fabric, and a looper thread on the other face of the fabric for joining and securing opposite pairs of needle loops, and separate stitches for covering the edges of the fabric and binding down said cross threads and said looper thread of the first named stitches, including parallel rows of needle loops formed in a single thread staggered with respect to each other and respectively disposed on the opposite sides of said abutted edges and between the first named rows of needle loops, said needle thread passing over and binding down the cross threads, and a looper thread for joining and securing the last named needle loops 0n the other face of the fabric.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. HUGHES, JR.

Vitnesses HAY KELLY, E. J. CULL. 

